Rome, ITALY, March 26 (AP) - The Euro 2004 qualifying match between Serbia-Montenegro and Wales scheduled for Belgrade next Wednesday has been postponed to
Aug. 20 due to security worries after the assassination of the Serbian prime
minister this month.
The decision was made in a meeting among UEFA officials and
representatives of the Serbian and Welsh soccer federations, who are in
the Italian capital for Thursday's UEFA Congress.
The government had considered moving the match to Podgorica, the capital
of Montenegro. But the local soccer association said there were no suitable
stadiums there to host the match, which some 1,600 Welsh fans are
expected to attend.
Serbia-Montenegro then proposed moving the match to Wales, but the
Welsh Football Association said it did not have enough time to organize
another match following its sold-out clash with Azerbaijan at Cardiff's
72,000-seat stadium Saturday.
Wales leads Group 9 with nine points, ahead of Serbia-Montenegro (5), Italy
(4), Finland (3) and Azerbaijan (1).
Serbia-Montenegro Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was slain in Belgrade on
March 12 as he left an armored car in front of his downtown Belgrade
headquarters. The country has since been in a state of emergency, which
officials have said will last through late April.
Earlier stories
March 24: Civil unrest fears could force Wales qualifier switch
